How Drake Maye led a dominant effort on Monday Night Football

Yearly by late October, many of the NFL’s contenders are identified.

This 12 months, the Patriots had been no exception.

The Pats soared to a 6-2 begin, and earned their contender badge with ensuing wins over the Falcons and Bucs. Again then it was laborious to argue with seven straight wins.

Now, the Patriots are at 10 in a row, and nearly each different contender has stumbled round them. Dangerous losses are scattered across the league, which has maybe by no means been extra extensive open. The Rams turned the most recent to fall final weekend, dropping as 10-point favorites in Carolina.

So the place is the Patriots’ unhealthy loss?

Nowhere to be discovered. Not but anyway.

As a substitute of slumping into their bye Monday night time, the banged-up Pats put the Giants in a 30-7 headlock at halftime and held tight for an 18-point win. Little concerning the ending was fairly, however that isn’t the purpose. The Patriots brutalized their opponent in a manner the one different AFC group really competing for the No. 1 seed didn’t whereas going through one other NFC East bottom-feeder Sunday night time.

The Broncos, winners of 9 straight, could not have a nasty loss but, however they don’t encourage the identical confidence the Patriots are proper now. If there’s any query as to why, examine the most recent MVP odds.

There, on the high, you’ll discover Drake Maye, who led one other dominant efficiency Monday night time and bolstered his case for the league’s highest honor. However he didn’t do it alone.

See: Marcus Jones’ punt return landing, Christian Elliss’ bone-crunching hit and some unlikely heroes alongside the offensive line.

Right here’s what else the movie revealed concerning the Patriots’ newest win:

Drake Maye

24-of-31 for 282 yards, 2 TDs, 3 sacks

Correct throw share: 80%

Underneath stress: 4-of-8 for 48 yards, three sacks

In opposition to the blitz: 8-of-11 for 112 yards, 2 TDs, 2 sacks

Behind the road: 5-of-5 for 44 yards

0-9 yards downfield: 14-of-18 for 131 yards, TD

10-19 yards downfield: 3-of-3 for 39 yards

20+ yards downfield: 2-of-4 for 69 yards, TD

Notes: There appears to be no rattling him.

The Giants tried their finest, sending inside blitzes after which displaying blitz earlier than backing out to isolate their edge rushers in opposition to the Patriots’ offensive tackles. Maye expertly dealt with each sorts of stress, making applicable pre-snap checks and calmly navigating each pocket. He completed with no single turnover-worthy play and beat the blitz with a 144.7 passer score within the face of additional rushers.

Better of all, Maye was unbothered enjoying behind a backup left sort out and left guard, centered solely the plan and play and hand. To that finish, he took what New York’s protection gave him by firing fast, correct strikes. His patented deep passes hit, too, most notably on his 33-yard landing to Kyle Williams.

Maye willingness to unfold the ball round to gamers like Williams (4 catches earlier than Monday night time) prevented the Giants from successfully keying in on Stefon Diggs, because the Bengals did per week earlier, and helped the Pats exploit their finest matchups on a down-to-down foundation. Eight Patriots completed with at the very least one catch.

Maye did invite one sack, however prevented pointless punishment his counterpart, Jaxson Dart, took. Main progress from a 12 months in the past. This sport was much less about dazzling shows of arm energy and extra command, poise and soccer IQ; a quarterback mature past his years whose growth is years forward of schedule.

Crucial areas

Turnovers: Patriots 0, Giants 1

Explosive play fee: Patriots 9.5%, Giants 5.7%

Success fee: Patriots 46%, Giants 41.5%

Pink-zone effectivity: Patriots 1-5, Giants 0-0

Defensive stress fee: Patriots 33.3%, Giants 30.5%

Offense

Recreation plan

Personnel breakdown: 67% of snaps in 11 personnel, 9.5% of snaps in 12 personnel, 9.5% of snaps in 21H personnel, 8% of snaps in 21F personnel,  3% of snaps in 13 personnel, 1.5% of snaps in 22 personnel, 1.5% of snaps in 01 personnel.***

Personnel manufacturing: 46.5% success fee in 11 personnel, 50% success fee in 12 personnel, 66% success fee in 21H personnel, 20% success fee in 21F personnel, 50% success fee in 13 personnel, 100% success fee in 22 personnel, 100% success fee in 01 personnel.

First-down down play-calls: 59% run (41% success fee), 41% run (58% success fee)

Play-action fee: 11.1%

One in every of Josh McDaniels’ finest sport plans of the season began with a pass-heavy opening script stuffed with fast passes designed to alleviate stress on his patchwork offensive line. Rapidly, that plan framed among the most various tape this offense has produced all season, with eight totally different personnel groupings, together with these with six offensive linemen, and run-game wrinkles that featured one direct snap to Rhamondre Stevenson. McDaniels diversified his safety plan by supplying assist to each offensive tackles through chips, double-teams, play-calls with minimize blocks and occasional misdirection.

Mike Vrabel’s message to Patriots as they go into late bye week

The Patriots used two-back personnel on nearly 20% of their offensive snaps, one among their highest charges this season. Their 21H personnel grouping — or “Pony” because it’s identified within the league — allowed Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson to hit Giants edge rushers whereas they exited the backfield to run routes. Each gamers turned frequent targets for Maye, who zipped 9 completions into the flat; a frequent weak spot for a New York protection that performed a variety of Cowl 4 and crowded the center of the sphere when blitzing or faking inside blitzes.

The Pats additionally picked relentlessly on Giants nook Paulson Adebo, beginning with a double-move on their fourth play from scrimmage and, later, Williams’ 33-yard landing.

Lastly, McDaniels upended two season-long tendencies: common utilization of two-tight finish personnel and play-action. He referred to as each at season-low charges, deploying 12 personnel on fewer than 10% of snaps and dialing up simply 4 play-action passes as a approach to mitigate the chance of longer-developing move performs versus the Giants’ move rush.

Participant stats

Damaged tackles: RB TreVeyon Henderson 4, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, WR Stefon Diggs

Stress allowed: LT Vederian Lowe 4 (QB hit, 3 hurries), Group 3 (sack, 2 hurries), QB Drake Maye (sack), Henderson (sack), LG Ben Brown (QB hit), RT Morgan Moses (hurry), C Garrett Bradbury (hurry)

Run stuffs allowed: Group WR DeMario Douglas, Moses

Drops: Henderson

Notes

• For an offensive sort out turned punching bag, Vederian Lowe’s 4 allowed pressures belied a strong efficiency on tape. He dealt with himself nicely in opposition to two of the NFL’s most athletic edge rushers, usually sending them behind Drake Maye and across the pocket; precisely because the offense’s sport plan dictated.
• Lowe did permit some fast stress, however that was to be anticipated. Subsequent to him, left guard Ben Brown obtained flagged for a maintain and allowed an early stress, however settled in instantly. Brown was arguably the Patriots’ finest run-blocker.
• General, the O-line’s surprisingly strong move safety set the stage for a successful efficiency, as did, in fact, Maye. As soon as the Pats neutralized Professional Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns (one QB hit, zero sacks) and blocked up New York’s inside blitzes, the Giants had been drawing useless.
• TreVeyon Henderson allowed the one sack Maye didn’t invite himself. His blitz pickup stays too shaky to be featured as a three-down again, however his potential to hit lengthy runs is the Patriots’ finest hope for reviving their run sport.
• It seems to be too late for this offense to develop an environment friendly, regular speeding assault, however the Pats’ can survive in the event that they hit just a few explosive runs per sport and attain league common ranges in short-yardage. And therein lies the foundation of their red-zone downside.
• The offense went 1-of-5 contained in the crimson zone, undone by their incapability to punch the ball throughout the aim line. No shock, the Patriots rank bottom-5 in energy success fee; a metric that measures a group’s share of runs on third or fourth down with two yards or much less to go that obtain a primary down. That is an issue.
• Encouraging information: Stevenson ran with extra power than per week in the past. The bye ought to deal with him, and his recovering turf toe, nicely.
• Excellent news: Kayshon Boutte’s 3-yard landing supplied one more reminder he’s among the many finest contested-catch receivers within the league, and his chemistry with Maye can and may carry the offense in high-leverage conditions.
• Quiet day for Stefon Diggs, regardless of a game-planned emphasis on enjoying by way of 11 personnel and the Giants’ regular eating regimen of zone protection. Diggs beat zone protection on two catches. His really feel in opposition to zone is likely one of the underrated pleasures of watching this offense work.
• DeMario Douglas performed extra offensive snaps than he had since Week 3. He caught two passes throughout a two-minute drill earlier than halftime, a powerful signal for Maye’s belief in him. There’s a variety of work to be accomplished together with his run-blocking, although.
• Rookie receiver Kyle Williams tracked the ball superbly on his 33-yard landing late within the second quarter. Williams has a steep climb to extra enjoying time, however deep strikes like that must be within the sport plan each week.
• Hunter Henry had the longest play of the day on a uncommon play-action move with max safety (eight blockers). Henry ran a nook route, and later caught a soar ball Maye flipped whereas below stress to transform on third down. If there is a extra trusted participant on this offense, I do not know who he’s.

Protection

Recreation plan

Personnel breakdown: 59% three-corner nickel package deal, 28% base protection, 13% dime.***

Protection breakdown: 71% zone, 29% man

Blitz fee: 40%

Blitz efficacy: 17% offensive success fee and three.9 yards per play allowed

Prepared, set, blitz.

The Patriots tried to place Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart to mattress early with stress, then buried him with additional rushers on his ultimate collection. Dart beat the Pats for one landing within the first half, however could not overcome the blitz nor a drawback out extensive the place his receivers had seven passes damaged up in entrance of them. The Patriots battered the Giants, and that physicality outlined their plan greater than any set of schemes.

On the Xs-and-Ods entrance, defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr majored in Cowl 2 and Cowl 1, probably a operate of enjoying with a lead and attempting to stop New York from scoring shortly. Kuhr had the protection well-prepared for the Giants’ shot performs and intermittent use of tempo, particularly in Patriots’ territory. Kuhr did not name for his base personnel packages to cease the run usually, a credit score to the bodily play up entrance of the common group.

Two personnel wrinkles: the Pats debuted a 1-5-5 nickel package deal with just one down lineman and 5 linebackers, plus a base personnel grouping with three cornerbacks and one security as a substitute of two of every.